New Neighbors
by DarklyDreaming88
Summary: When recluse Edward gets a new neighbor named Isabella who has two kids his life is turned upside down. They both have painful pasts, but their futures may be bright together. OOC
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I don't go out much… Alright I don't go out at all unless I have to. I am a writer so that makes being a recluse easy for me. It's not the world that scares me. It's the people in it. I just never saw the point in friends or romantic relationships. In my experience people just hurt you, so I just stay in my modest house in Forks Washington. I like it here because none of my neighbors bother me, so I can do what I'm doing right now, write in peace and quiet.

Beep beep beep "Can you please put those in the dining room! Thank you." I heard a woman shout from outside my window.

"Whaaaaa!" a baby cried from outside.

Ugh the new neighbors are moving in today! I completely forgot. Why did Arthur and Jean have to move? They were such a nice quiet old couple.

I got up from his desk and peaked out one of the curtains and saw the cause of the yelling. She had to be the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on in my 28 years of existence. She couldn't have been older than 24 and she was holding a crying baby and standing next to a little boy about 9 years old.

That must be her brother because she would have to have been around 15 when she had him. The little boy took his scooter out of the car and began skating up and down the block.

"Sara sweetheart don't go into the street!" The beautiful creature yelled.

"Okay mom!" The little boy that was actually a girl said back with some attitude.

I stopped spying on them and went to the kitchen and got a glass of water and then went back to trying to concentrate on my writing.

New neighbors suck. New neighbors meant awkward chatting about the weather, and new neighbors with kids meant noise. Lots and lots of noise. I sighed and went back to work.

A few days' later my new neighbors were finally settled in and the neighborhood was quiet again until I heard someone dribbling a basketball.

"Why does my office have to be right next to their driveway?" I got up and looking out the window. It was the little girl that looked like a boy. Sara I think.

Well I can see that I'm in for hours of noise everyday. Can't she play with dolls like normal girls her age? Well I guess its lunch time.

When I opened the fridge to get some leftovers I noticed the fridge was becoming bare and I couldn't put off going shopping anymore. I guess tonight is as good as any to go.

Forks is a very small town. There are probably not even 1000 people here. The small food market four blocks from the house is the only food market within 10 miles of here, so that's where everyone goes. That's the bad thing about small towns. Not many places to go and not many people so everyone knows everyone else's business. That means they all know I'm the weird freak that hardly talks to anyone and never leaves his house except at night to go grocery shopping. At least no one bothers me. They all see me as a weirdo and I guess they're right, but it's not my fault I am fucked up in the head. They don't know why I'm like this, but then again no one alive does.

When I walked into the store it was empty just how I like it, except of course for Jessica behind the cash register.

Jessica didn't say anything to me anymore. She gave up trying to ask me out about a year ago and hasn't said anything to me since.

I walked down the frozen food isle when I heard the bell on the door ring. I looked up and saw my neighbor and her children walk in.

"Hi there you must be the new girl in town. I'm Jessica" Jessica said with one of her fake smiles.

"Yes. Hello I'm Isabella and these are my daughters Sara and Kayla." Isabella said softly looking at her girls affectionately.

"Hello there girls." Jessica said a little too perky for this time of night. Speaking of which don't those kids have a bed time that they are way past?

Sara gave a shy little wave and the baby just squealed and clapped her little hands.

"Well if you girls need any help finding anything just ask me okay." Jessica said smiling wide.

"Thanks." Isabella said and then she walked towards me with Sara dragging her feet behind Isabella.

Oh God she's coming towards me! Keep calm and walk away nonchalantly.

I began my way towards the register when the stupid cereal box fell out of my cart. I just left it trying to avoid a conversation with my neighbor, but my plan backfired as Isabella bent down with the baby in hand and picked up my cereal.

"Excuse me sir you dropped this." She said to me.

I turned and felt the anxiety I always felt whenever I spoke to anyone.

"Oh..um..th..th…thank you." I stuttered and took the cereal.

'Way to be cool calm and collected. Idiot.'

"I'm Isabella." She said to me.

"Yeah I'm y…y…your ne…neighbor. Edward C… C… Cullen."

"Oh well its nice to meet you Edward. These are my girls Sara and Kayla." Isabella said looking down shyly.

She seemed as uncomfortable as me… alright that's probably impossible but she was pretty awkward too, and she spoke so soft like she was afraid to be too loud.

"N… nice t… to meet you. I am in a hu…hurry sorry." I said practically running to the register as Isabella and her kids looked at me strangely.

Jessica didn't say anything as I paid for my things. I left as fast as I could without making eye contact with anyone in the store. When I finally got in my car I took a deep breath and relaxed. Well that didn't go as smoothly as it could have.

Way to freak out the neighbor. Maybe she'll start packing up and move out tomorrow.

I shake my head and speed out of the parking lot feeling like an ass as usual. When I get home I finally am able to relax in my office. The only place I felt safe and not like a stuttering freak.

After I put my food and soda away I sat down and tried to write some more. There was no point in trying to sleep. I haven't had a good night's sleep since… I don't even know when.

A few minutes later I heard a car door and a baby fussing. I knew it was Isabella. I peeked out from my curtains and watched as she juggled the baby and tried to bring some groceries in the house at the same time. It was then that I got this strange feeling, no this need to go help her. I had never felt that before. I have never gone out of the way to interact with another human being before, but I found myself walking out the door and heading for her car.

"Excuse me Is…Isabella… l…let me h…he…help you w…with that." I cursed myself for stuttering.

Isabella and Sara jumped when they heard my voice from behind them, but once they saw it was me Isabella relaxed… I think. Sara stared at me like she was waiting for me to attack her or something.

"Oh Edward you scared me." She said to me putting a hand over her racing heart.

"S….ss sorry." I say looking at the sidewalk.

"No need to apologize. Thanks for the offer to help but I can manage." Isabella said nicely but the look on her face told me she just wanted me to leave her alone.

"A…are you s…sure?" I asked.

"Yes." Isabella said fast and with a hint of the anxiety that I know so well.

Sara grabbed some bags and Isabella grabbed the other one. Then, they quickly walked to the front door and opened it.

"Good night Edward." Bella said softly.

"Good night." I said and waved at Sara who just gave me a dirty look and went into the house.

Well that was a waste of time. I knew I shouldn't have come out here. I walked back to my lonely safe haven. That family seems like they have more problems than I do. After all she does go grocery shopping at night like me. She doesn't want to be seen either. Maybe she was on the bad end of an abusive relationship and is hiding from the asshole. Maybe she still is and dear old dad just hasn't shown his face yet. There is definitely something troubling her, and for some reason that I can't even begin to understand I want to find out what it is.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

That's it…basketball is without a doubt my least favorite sport. How can a rubber ball bouncing off concrete make so much noise? Doesn't that kid ever do anything else?

It's been two oh so wonderful weeks since my new neighbors moved in, and they have been delightfully noisy so far. I've gotten zero writing done for two weeks. I don't do anything but watch them and debate if I should say something about keeping the noise down, but I chicken out every time. I hate confrontation especially with a woman, and no matter how annoyed I am I don't think I could ever yell at a kid. I have too much experience with that…

Well If I'm not going to write I guess it's as good a time as any to get my mail.

I put on my shoes and wait until Sara goes inside before I leave my house. The less I interact with them the better I think to myself as I step outside. At that same moment Isabella stepped out of her house.

"Oh um… hi Edward." Isabella says shyly.

"Hi." I say and we stare at each other for a minute both too awkward to start a conversation. Isabella broke the silence first.

"I'm just getting my mail. Where are you off to?" She asked.

"Same p-p-place as you a-actually."

"Oh… okay." She said and we both walked down our driveways to our mailboxes.

"So, h-how's the n-n-new house?" I say starting a conversation for the first time in what seems like forever.

"It's nice. It's much better than our last one. The neighbors are nice and quiet too." She said smiling, but not making eye contact.

She seems nervous, but she handles it so much better than I do.

"So, Jessica told me you've lived here for a long time. I guess you must really like it here." Isabella asked and I rolled my eyes at the mention of Jessica.

"I bet J-Jessica t-told you a lot of t-things."

"I guess you don't like her then."

"Not p-particularly." I said with a shrug.

"I'm sorry. I didn't ask her about you. After you ran out of the store she started talking about you. It was nothing bad I promise." Isabella said worried she made me angry, but I don't really care what Jessica has to say about me. I do however care what Isabella thinks about me.

"Just d-don't believe e-everything y-you hear. Especially from h-h-her." I said and Isabella nodded.

"I won't. I don't really like her either." Isabella smiled making eye contact with me for the first time.

It was easy for her to avoid eye contact because I am at least a foot taller than her. She has nice brown eyes though. They match her hair. What am I thinking. I do not care about people's eyes!

"I g-g-got to go. I h-have a deadline I h-h-have to meet in a f-few h-hours." I say trying to escape politely this time.

"Oh are you a writer? I love to read. What do you write?" She asked with excitement in her voice. All traces of her nervousness gone.

I was caught off guard by her reaction. Most people don't care about books.

"I write f-fiction novels, b-but they're n-n-nothing s-special." I say hoping to end the conversation.

"I doubt that. I'll have to read them sometime. I probably already have. What are the names of some of your books?" She asks.

"I r-really have to g-go. I'll b-bring them by s-s-s-sometime." I said with no intention of ever bringing Isabella anything.

"Okay. I'll hold you to that." She said to my retreating form.

What the hell is wrong with me. Why does it make me happy that she loves reading like I do, and why am I glad she doesn't look at me like I'm a freak like everyone else does?

She's different from everyone else that's why, and I think I… like that?

That's not like me. I don't like people. I don't like being in the same room with people how can I like one of them? Who knew getting a new neighbor could be so confusing.

* * *

Another week has passed since my new neighbors moved in, and my fascination with Isabella hasn't gone away.

It would be so easy for so many people to just go over there and actually try to become friends with her, but I could feel my anxiety rise just thinking of doing that. I've resigned to keep my distance and watch them like a creepy stalker from behind my curtains, but no matter how much I feel like a creepy stalker I just can't bring myself to stop watching them.

As far as I could tell there was no boyfriend or husband in the picture, and no one had gone to visit them, but Isabella had been talking on the phone a lot recently. She liked to walk around the yard while she was on her phone. That seemed a little strange to me, but then again I am the one staring at her from my window… She didn't seem to have a job right now and didn't leave the house much, unless it was to watch Sara play outside.

On the third week anniversary of my new neighbor's arrival I decided to stop acting like a creepy stalker and stop watching them through my curtains. Of course that was the day something new happened. I heard a car door open and close and a woman yell 'Bella'.

I sat at my computer desk and tried to concentrate on typing, but the curiosity was killing me. I went to my window and saw a little woman with short hair run to Isabella's front door and leap into Isabella's arms. She looked like a little pixie because of her hair and the fact that she was even shorter than Isabella. They both seemed to be crying as they hugged. Maybe she was an old friend that Isabella hadn't seen in a while? Then, I noticed Isabella was dressed in a waitress uniform. I guess she's going to be working at The Twilight Cafe. Good luck working for that ass Mike Newton. She talked to the little woman and then brought her inside. A few minutes later Sara, and the little woman holding the baby were standing in the doorway as Isabella seemed to be getting ready to leave for work. Isabella hugged and kissed her kids then said something to the tiny woman and shut the door. She then checked to make sure the front door was locked before pausing for a minute and then making her way to her car.

As she drove away I turned back to my desk and decided to take a shower before I did anything else. I went upstairs and took a nice long hot shower until I was completely relaxed.

As I was dressing in my room I caught a glimpse of Sara playing in her backyard with no little pixie woman in site. The old couple that used to live there, the McCoy's, had an underground pool that they never used. In fact I can't remember ever seeing it uncovered. It could be dangerous for kids to play back there.

Pixie lady is probably watching through a window or something. I tried to convince myself to stop watching her, but I was rooted to this spot in my bedroom half-dressed watching a nine year old play in her backyard. God I'm acting like a fucking perv. I thought shaking my head when all of a sudden Sara's ball bounced onto the pool covering.

Go get your babysitter kid. I shouted at her in my head. Of course she didn't hear me so she tried to reach for it lying down. She couldn't get it, so she put some of her upper body onto the pool cover and reached again.

I held my breath waiting for either the cover to break or for her babysitter to come out of the house and stop her.

The next thing I knew Sara disappeared into the pool. The cover finally snapped and I sprang into action without even thinking.

I didn't have a shirt on. I never, ever leave the house with no shirt on, but I didn't even think about it. I ran down stairs and out my back door. I scaled the little fence separating our yards and jumped into the pool to get Sara.

She was stuck under part of the pool cover, and would have surely drowned if I had not acted so quickly. I pulled her out of the pool and she choked up the gross green water that had been in the pool for god only knows how long.

She started to shake and cry and I didn't know what to do.

That's when the babysitter finally decided to make an appearance.

"What's going on out here? Who the hell are you?" She yelled at me and I stood up quickly ready to bolt. Then, she realized we had both been in the pool.

"Oh my God! Sara are you okay!?" The pixie said running over to Sara and throwing her arms around the child.

Sara nodded but continued to cry. The little pixie lady comforted her and turned back to me.

"Who are you? What happened!?" She asked panicked.

"I'm E…Ed Edward M…Mason I live n…next…next door. Sara was t-t-trying to get h-h her ball on the p-p-pool cover and f-f-fell in. I saw it f-f-from my window and r-r-ran over to h-h-help." I stuttered like an idiot.

"Oh my god you saved her. You're a hero. She would have died while I was supposed to be watching her." The pixie woman started to cry and she let go of Sara and launched herself at me. I jumped at the contact. I hadn't touched another person in years, so it was strange to receive a hug from some lady I didn't know. Not to mention I didn't have a shirt on.

My shirt… I need a shirt. She must feel them. I need to get out of here before she says something.

"Sorry but I n-n-need to go h-h-home." I said awkwardly patting the woman's back and stepping out of her embrace.

"Please come over later. Bella is going to want to give you a medal or something." The pixie laughed brushing a tear off her face.

I looked down at Sara still on the ground. She wasn't crying anymore just watching me with a strange expression on her face.

"S-sure." I say with no intention of coming over later.

Then I practically ran out of their yard and into mine.

I heard Sara from my yard ask the pixie a question.

"What were those marks on his back Alice?" The little girl asked.

"I don't know. It's not polite to stare Sara. Now come on you need to take a shower and get out of those disgusting clothes. And don't ever try to get a toy from the pool cover again. You could have died, and I wouldn't have even known." Alice said starting to cry again. "Come on first we have to call your mother."

They walked into the house and I didn't hear anything else. I walked into my own house and took another shower. This time I felt completely drained so I plopped on my bed and decided to take a nap.

I didn't wake up until I heard someone pounding on my door. I was having my favorite kind of dream, no dream and that's rare for me, so whoever this is better have a good reason for waking me up.

"What?" I asked annoyed as I opened the door. Then I realized it was Isabella and she had tears streaming down her face.

She launched herself at me a lot like the pixie… Alice did.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." She repeated over and over as she cried into my shirt.

Three crying girls and two hugs in one day. I have no idea how this happened to me.

I had no idea what to say so I said the only think I knew I could say.

"Umm…Y-y-your w-w-welcome."

"You saved my baby's life. There's no way I can ever repay you. I owe you my life." She said still hugging me in a death grip.

"N-no y-you d-don't. I just d-did what a-anyone w-would do." I said feeling uncomfortable.

"Please come over and have dinner with us. I owe you so much. The least I can do is feed you." Isabella said taking a step back to look at my face for an answer.

"Sorry a-a-already ate." I lied.

"What did you eat?" She asked catching me off guard.

I froze like an idiot and had no answer. She giggled at me.

"You are a terrible liar. I promise we won't bite… well Kayla might, but she hardly has any teeth." Isabella said and I chuckled.

I actually chuckled. What the hell is happening to me? I wanted to say no, but I couldn't say anything with Isabella staring at me like I was her hero or something.

"Will you come over?" She asked again with a hopeful expression on her face, and I could only nod even though I was screaming at myself to say no. Her face split into a huge smile.

"Great come over whenever you're ready. Dinner is at six." She said and I nodded again and closed the door.

What am I getting myself into? Whatever it is I am definitely not ready for it.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are much appreciated whether they're good or bad. **


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